10 Great Dive Watches Under $1,000 Just in Time for Summer

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to put our leather straps away and go play—hopefully in the water. No watch says Summer better than a dive watch, and they go with everything from a seer-sucker suit and sock-less loafers to swim trunks and shades. We’ve rounded up ten divers, all costing less than $1,000, all ready to go everywhere you go and do everything you do during the sweltering months ahead.

Seiko “Mini Turtle”

Scaled down to 42.3 millimeters and gently redesigned, these SRPC references have been warmly dubbed “Mini Turtles” due to their resemblance to the larger Seiko Turtles. When a Seiko gets a nickname, you know it’s a hit. With 200 meters of water resistance, a hacking and hand-winding 4R35 movement with over 40 hours power reserve, and a Rolex-y date window magnifier, the Mini Turtle puts a new twist on that classic Seiko diver style.

$360

Mk II Paradive

Take away everything but the bare essentials, balance the remaining elements in near perfect proportions, and then cut one of the sharpest bead-blasted cases on the market, and you get the MK II Paradive (read our review here). A tribute to the 1970s Benrus Type 1, the Paradive measures large at 44.5 millimeters wide and 15.54 thick, but it wears much smaller. 200 meters of water resistance and an auto-winding Seiko NE15 mechanical movement beg for summer fun—and abuse.

$895

Mido Ocean Star Automatic

The Mido Ocean Star (review here) is a thoroughbred dive watch built from titanium, which keeps this 42.5 millimeter submariner light on the wrist. At only 11.75 millimeters thick, it’s sleek, too. The proprietary rubber strap hugs the case just like the steel bracelet does, and both the rubber and steel inspire confidence and panache.

Starting at $890

Seiko SPB077/SPB079

2018 marks the second year in a row that Seiko has released a trio of dive watches reissues—one is a faithful limited edition, and the other two get modern visual and performance updates. The SPB077 and 079 are this year’s two updated models, both based on the highly collectible Ref. 6159 from 1969. Modern sizing is at 44 millimeters across and 13.1 thick, and you’ll get 200 meters of water resistance, coated steel for extra hardness, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, the venerable 6R15 auto-winding movement, and—most importantly—that classic Seiko dive watch style.

Starting at $850

Nezumi Baleine Diver

Not all dive watch cases are created equal, and the Nezumi Baleine Diver’s (review here) 40-millimeter case may be its most compelling feature with brushed and polished surfaces (on the stainless steel model), twisting lugs, and a beautifully machined screwed-in case back featuring the Swedish brand’s hexagonal logo. Up top is a double domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating arced over a black dial with beige lume and polished gold hands, all surrounded by a handsome 60-click unidirectional bezel. The summer sun will bring all that golden warmth to life, while the 200-meter rating will keep it bone dry when you cool off with a dip or a dive.

$500

Victorinox INOX Professional Diver

Quartz? Yes, because until recently no mechanical movement could withstand being run over by a tank—let alone the other 99 stress tests to which Victorinox subjects its INOX line of watches. The shapely 45-millimeter case exudes durability, while the scalloped steel bezel, sporty colorways, bright rubber straps and, on some models, fire engine red seconds hand unabashedly announce this diver’s readiness for—quite literally—anything you throw at it.

$695